The Labor Law historically allowed either party to terminate an indefinite employment relationship with proper notice, which provides for different notice periods for indefinite contracts according to whether it is a worker or an employee (employees often work in an office on a set schedule and special circumstances and primarily perform intellectual work, workers provide material or manual services), and their length of service at the time of termination:
The Constitutional Court has limited the effect of the notice regime by holding that giving advance notice alone does not make a dismissal lawful if it violates the constitutional right to job stability. As a result, an employer who terminates an employee without legal cause still owes severance and statutory benefits even if notice was given, and any payment in lieu of notice is separate from and does not replace those severance obligations.
Foreign nationals working in Bolivia are required to obtain a Specific Purpose Visa to be employed. The employer or employee must submit the foreign employee’s employment contract to the Ministry of Labor for endorsement within 30 calendar days from the commencement of the employment relationship. This requires submitting a Visa Application Affidavit Form, a valid passport, a document certifying their intended activity, an invitation letter, a police clearance certificate, proof of financial solvency, a yellow fever vaccination certificate, and a recent photograph. Upon receiving the visa, individuals can enter Bolivia and apply for a residence permit.
To apply for a residence permit, employees must provide a photocopy of the employer's identity card, a power of attorney, a copy of the employer's registry and tax ID, payroll declarations, 3 copies of the employment contract, a copy of their foreign ID or work visa, and an immigration status resolution. Work permits in Bolivia are valid for up to 2 years, and companies must hire a maximum of 15% foreign employees, who must be skilled workers.
Employees in Bolivia are entitled to paid annual leave, which varies based on their length of service:
Annual leave cannot be compensated in money, except in the case of employment contract termination. It cannot be accumulated or carried over except by mutual agreement in writing.
The effective work day must not exceed 8 hours a day and 48 hours a week over a 6-day work week. Women and minors cannot work more than 40 hours a week during the day. Exceptions apply to employees or workers in management, surveillance, or confidential positions, those working discontinuously, or those who perform tasks that, by their nature, cannot be subjected to work days. In such cases, the maximum number of work hours is 12 per day.
The working day hours can be increased in the event of force majeure.
The ordinary workday must be interrupted by 1 or more breaks amounting to a total of 2 hours. It is prohibited to work for more than 5 continuous hours without a break.
Female employees in Bolivia are entitled to 90 days of maternity leave, split into 45 days before the expected date of birth and 45 days after delivery. They are entitled to 100% of their salary during these 90 days. Employers can claim reimbursement for 90% of the salary they pay during this period from the Bolivian Social Security system.
Female employees are protected from dismissal during pregnancy and up to 1 year after childbirth. Mothers are granted time off for breastfeeding during working hours, at least 1 hour a day, until the child reaches 12 months of age.
The General Labor Law of Bolivia prohibits employers from paying their employees less than the statutory minimum wage. The national minimum wage is BOB 3,300 (Bolivian bolivianos) per month beginning January 2, 2026. The minimum wage is determined after a negotiation between the national government and the Bolivian Workers' Central (COB).
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